The present invention relates to use of a bacterial isolate as a probiotic in food, beverage, animal feed, and/or dietary supplement compositions.
There is a desire to provide women with the option to replace human breast milk with manufactured formula/foods. Research indicates that existing infant formula/foods do not provide certain of the protective benefits of human breast milk. For example, bifidobacteria species are constituents of the intestinal flora of infants. See generally R. Kok et al., 62 App. Env. Microb. 3668-3672 (1996); J. P. Langhendries et al., 21 J. Ped. Gastro. Nutr. 177-181 (1995). The disclosure of these publications and of all other publications referred to herein are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Acetic acid and lactic acid production, as well as production of bacteriocins, other antimicrobials, and bioactive compounds, results from growth of Bifidobacterium and provides protective health benefits. Breast feeding appears to cause such bacteria to proliferate in human infants, albeit to date the mechanism by which this occurs has not been fully elucidated.
There have been proposals to add certain strains of bifidobacteria to animal feeds, and certain foods and beverages intended for humans. See J. Luchansky, 67 Ped. Basics 2-7 (1994); J. Reiter, Dairy Foods, p. 26 (March 1994); D. Hughes et al., 45 Food Tech. 74-83 (1991); U. Dubey et al., 79 J. Dairy Sci. 1146-1163 (1996).
With respect to human infants it has not previously been known where and how newborn infants acquire the bifidobacteria which are the most desirable for them, which particular strain(s) of Bifidobacterium are the most beneficial when the infant is the most vulnerable, and whether key strain(s) have yet to be isolated. Thus, to date infant formulas/baby foods have not proved to be sufficiently good substitutes for human breast milk with respect to Bifidobacterium.
Also of concern is the need to provide protective affects for non-human animals, such as by pretreating feeds with desirable bacteria, including bifidobacteria.
Another area of concern relates to humans who have diminished levels of desirable bacteria in their gut for reasons other than being newborns (e.g. due to diarrhea, chemotherapy, antibiotic treatment, or advanced age). Foods, beverages, oral treatments or other probiotic techniques for providing desirable bacteria to humans are therefore of interest.